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Criterion
Affinity Diagramming
UX Research
Affinity Diagramming
Paper illustration of two user profile cards with a goal, behavior evidence, and an open research question.
UX Research
Personas
Paper illustration for Knowledge Mapping.
Knowledge Modeling
Knowledge Mapping
Paper illustration of a Concept Map with concepts and labelled links
Knowledge Modeling
Concept Mapping
Purposedifferent
When research notes, feedback, or observations sit unconnected side by side, affinity diagramming sorts the raw material into solid themes. Many individual points turn into patterns that make decisions and opportunities clearer.When target groups stay too vague and teams talk about the same people differently, personas create a shared, solid picture of usage. Condensed profiles make needs, contexts, and differences tangible enough for decisions.Knowledge Mapping makes knowledge, gaps, and transfer paths visible across a field. It fits when expertise should not just exist but also be findable and transferable.Concept Mapping arranges terms and relationships in a network that makes subject-matter connections tangible. It fits when a topic needs to be understood structurally rather than linearly.
Complexitydifferent
LowMediumMediumMedium
Timedifferent
45–90 min1-3 Tage1-3 h1-2 h
Participantsdifferent
3-10Internes Team3-121-8
Formatdifferent
WorkshopWorkshop + asyncWorkshopWorkshop + async
Outputdifferent
Theme clusters, Insight statements, Opportunity areasPersona Profiles, Needs Summary, Scenario NotesKnowledge Map, Critical Knowledge Areas, Transfer PlanConcept Map, Relationship Labels, Knowledge Gaps
Tagsno overlap
SynthesisQualitativeRoot cause
ResearchCustomerSynthesis
KnowledgeMappingRisk
KnowledgeConceptsMappingSensemaking
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